Starting the new year with a bang!

HAPPY New Year! I hope yours was as fun and relaxing as mine which mostly consisted of cozy, frolic filled moments with family and friends.

A lot of board games like Taboo were played, a lot of screaming went down for Connect 4, a lot of hearts were beating hard after Wii dance offs to the Michael Jackson Experience and too much weight was gained eating copious amounts of rich food!. Time to feel guilty and hit the gym before that summer bikini has to make its debut!

I was also lucky enough to go to the Christmas carol service at St Paul’s cathedral.

There’s nowhere more festive and Christmasy to hear the choir sing whilst sipping peppermint hot chocolates and eggnog lattes. On New Years day we watched London’s troupes from the UK performed impressive numbers in the freezing January cold in skimpy costumes whilst we were wrapped up in our snug hats, scarves and fur mittens.

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Remembering 2012

THROUGHOUT the festive activities it was important to keep my eyes open to the realness out there too and nothing could’ve been realer than the stories that kept hitting us from across the globe. The horrific tragedy in the USA where a young man shot and killed so many school children and teachers.

The same day we heard about the tragedy in China where a similar incident with a man stabbing young children shocked the world but at least in the Chinese tragedy the children were still alive!

One of my mentors, the often loved but mostly hated broadcaster Piers Morgan, who has gone from a newspaper pop culture columnist, to the editor of a UK newspaper to now hosting his own TV show on American network CNN, was very vocal about Americas gun laws pleading with the public to make a change.

Americans have embraced their right to protect themselves and ownership of guns is so important to them. They state things like “guns don’t kill people, people do!”

Now I know the worldwide stereotype of many Americans is a lack of brain cells and tunnel vision but even a nursery school kid knows that only people with guns can shoot other people. Some people even started a petition to deport Piers Morgan back to England.

They don’t like us Brits to challenge them on anything; it seems that we are supposed to pander to their every thought. Piers might irritate and be very in your face but he’s real. He speaks like your mate down at the pub, not a puppet pulled by establishment strings.

We have loaned him to the yanks- I hope they can be open minded enough to hear that he speaks the world’s thoughts on the gun issue. Slavery was once seen as a right to this nation too. No one ever thought we’d see a black president either. It’s never too late to change.

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Leaving the past behind

LOOKING FORWARD TO FATHERHOOD: Kanye West and Jasmine

RIHANNA and Kim Kardashian have probably had the most global column inches this past 12 months and no doubt will continue to make them in 2013.

Their respective drama’s around domestic abuse and home made sex video tapes haven’t set them up in the best possible light, but like I said above – it’s never too late to change. They’ve made their marks and are now independent women. Rihanna has shown forgiveness and Kim has matured into a very able businesswoman.

Being partners to famous females like Riri and Kim isn’t easy. When I recently caught up with Chris his attitude was that he has repented and will live his life as best he can but can't be a slave to the public’s opinions.

On his visit to London last week Kanye told me he can't wait to be a father. I applaud Chris Brown and Kanye West on coming through their respective issues in the past to stand strong by their ladies. I congratulate them all on their success. May 2013 be even greater for them all.

Jasmine Dotiwala is a TV producer, director and broadcast journalist. Email her atjasmine@hiphop.com Follow her on Twitter: @jasminedotiwala